Algorithms are increasingly invoked as powerful entities that control, govern, sort, regulate, and shape everything from financial trades to news media. Nevertheless, the nature and implications of such orderings are far from clear. What exactly is it that algorithms âgovernâ? What is the role attributed to âalgorithmsâ in these arguments? Can we turn the âproblem of algorithmsâ into an object of productive inquiry?

This conference sets out to explore the recent rise of algorithms as an object of interest in scholarship, policy, and practice beyond computer science. Taking a fresh view on the current wave of interest in this topic, we aim to discuss themes such as:

* the very idea of âalgorithmsâ as a subject and object of analysis

* issues of methodology and the kind of knowledge claims that come with algorithms

The conference is supported by the Intel Science & Technology Center for Social Computing, the Information Law Institute at NYU School of Law, and the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University.